Keep sports’ name changes minimal, acceptable
I have an idea for a new name and slogan for the Atlanta Braves. First, remove the tomahawk from everything from the uniforms to the stadium. Second, drop the “s” at the end of the Braves, to make it Brave. Then the new moto for the Atlanta Brave can be “Atlanta – land of the Free and home of the Brave.” The stadium banner could be red letters, outlined in white, on a blue background thereby using the colors of our national flag. Also, when the fans sing the national anthem, the last stanza will have a double meaning.
This would be in keeping with the change Cleveland made from Indians to Guardians, whereby removing the offensive part of the name, but still sounding similar to the old name. Rebranding with a totally different name is a marketing nightmare that would require several years to obtain full fan acceptance. If there must be change, keep them minimal, but acceptable.
GARY HENDERSON, MARIETTA
A dose of republicanism can help us triumph over virus
On September 20, 1953, a three-year old boy woke up and told his mother that his head really hurt. His mother’s gut reaction was to cry out, “Oh please God, no!” Her pleas were ignored and the little boy, one of my brothers, had indeed contracted polio — a vicious headache being one of the first indicators. Less than a year later the newly developed polio vaccine would protect my parents’ six other children from suffering the same fate.
What we are enduring as a result of COVID-19 is neither a political or constitutional issue, but a public health issue.
Ancient Rome is generally credited with the concept of classical republicanism. It is the idea that one of the responsibilities of citizenship is a recognition and promotion of the common good. We have triumphed before as a nation over terrible diseases such as polio. A healthy dose of classical republicanism, in the form of vaccinations, would allow us to triumph over COVID-19.
LAWRENCE BURNS, NEWNAN
